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Sunday, April 24, 2011

The "Proceed With Caution List" - please, contribute!

Recently, I heard of a trombone student who had to cancel his recital due to a last-minute loss of his pianist. The reason? Repertoire, mainly Šulek's Sonata "Vox Gabrieli" (notorious among pianists for its devilish accompaniment).There's a lot of rep out there that takes HOURS to learn, even for experienced pianists. Pianists on Facebook (People for the Ethical Treatment of Accompanists) kicked the idea around in a 'Repertoire Difficulty Level' discussion, naming repertoire from their own experience. I pulled together a list, offering two categories: pieces originally written for piano and orchestral reductions.*

If nothing else, pianists should:

Double check before saying yes to Hindemith or any saxophone repertoire.

Originally for piano and [fill in the blank]

Casterede Sonatine, trombone and piano

Creston Saxophone Sonata

Desenclos Prelude Cadence and Finale, sax and piano

Jolivet Chant de Linos, flute and piano

Franck Violin Sonata

Heiden Saxophone Sonata

Ravel Tzigane, violin and piano

Schubert Variations On 'Trockne Blumen', flute and piano

Strauss Violin Sonata

Šulek Vox Gabrieli, trombone and piano

Weber Duo Concertante, clarinet and piano

Orchestral reductions:

Copland Clarinet Concerto

Dvorak Cello Concerto

Ibert Concertino for Sax

Strauss 2nd horn concerto

Walton Viola Concerto

Vocal lit should have it's own space . . . I may have to do that next.

*Orchestral reductions get their own category because playing them calls for the ability to make an orchestral sound, in addition to the ability to read (and to discern what to bring out/leave out/etc).

6 comments:

Why are we calling this a "blacklist?" Many of the works listed are wonderful pieces that are very rewarding to learn and play.

While much of the instrumental literature is difficult, I don't think it's any more difficult than the standard piano literature. The problem is more that pianists expect to spend less time and energy on "accompaniments" than solo literature. The Creston saxophone sonata is no more difficult than any of the Prokofiev sonatas, nor is the Feld flute sonata.

Pianists often say that they'd rather be called "collaborative pianists" than "accompanists," but this requires a change of attitude on the part of the pianist as well. If someone who plays the 1st Ginastera sonata complains about the Desenclos Prelude, Cadence et Finale, then it's because they're not taking their chamber work as seriously as their solo work.

The solution isn't to "blacklist" certain pieces. The solution is simply to realize that the Liebermann Flute sonata deserves the same attention as Gargoyles. If it takes you 6 months to learn Gargoyles, then it's going to take you 6 months to learn the flute sonata. And if you don't have 6 months, then don't take the gig.

(And for those who assign accompanying rep to students - if you don't think that student could handle Gargoyles in 2 weeks, then don't give them the flute sonata!)

Thanks Bill for the great post! I call those pieces "money pieces". (If I know them I can get that gig.) Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, Poulenc Violin Sonata, Poulenc Cello Sonata, Barber Violin Concerto can be probably added, perhaps?

The Desenclos Prelude, Cadence and Finale, while frightening, is nothing compared to the Denisov saxophone sonata. It's sheer terror. The Denisov two pieces are no walk in the park, either. The Pierre-Max Dubois pieces are bizarrely difficult (they shouldn't be so hard, but they are.)

About Me

A classically-trained, freelance pianist (and perpetual student) currently living in San Antonio, TX. I play in several musical sandboxes, as needed. My side hobby is helping other pianists get employed.
Got questions? You can email me at billiewhittaker@gmail.com